If I want to repot a houseplant to a bigger container, what kind of soil do I use?
I'd repot in multi purpose compost! Quick, easy and relativey cheap.
t would really depend upon what type of plant it is. Some house plants need less water, so you should use a sandy potting soil or ones with a lot of vermiculite in it. Succulents and cacti need sandy soils that drain well, for example. If it's a plant that needs a lot of water, you should chose one or create one that has more clay in it. If it's a plant that needs extra feeding, such as a heavy bloomer or a heavy foliage plant, there are potting soils with extra fertilizers in it. Also, different plants need different amounts of certain fertilizers like magnesium or pot ash or nitrogen. Too much of these for your plant can burn it. Too little can cause poor growth. The amounts of magnesium can also change the colors of the blooms as well. And some plants need more or less acidic levels. Azalea's need different amounts of acids than other plants, for example. African Violet's need more acid as well. Potting Soil Plus Fertilizer would probably be the best answer, unless the plant you are transplanting needs low fertilizer, in which case a general purpose soil mix would be best. And that doesn't even take into consideration whether it is an aquatic plant, in which case it would need an aquatic soil mix and need to be covered with pea gravel to prevent fish from uprooting the plant or from contaminating the water and causing an algae bloom.
